The original was badass, but the 2020 Mustang GT500 is a complete sports car
The 2020 Mustang GT500 is great, but the story leading up to its 760 horsepower is more fascinating than talking supercharger pulley diameters. A new video from ISSIMI, hosted by Jason Cammisa, takes us along for the high-horsepower history ride. To place things in a modern context, some heavy hitters from Porsche and Ferrari join in, as well.
Like any discussion about high-horsepower pony cars, there are liberal amounts of tire smoke, howling exhausts, and tail happy corner exits. We expect that—nay, we demand it. What we didn’t expect, though, was a Dark Moss Green co-star to join the Twister Orange Carbon Track Pack car on track.
Cammisa tells the story of how the GT500 became the monster it is today, and in order to discuss that, one has to mention the first Mustang to receive Shelby’s seven-liter treatment: the ’67 GT500. Before that car, the ’65 GT350 was the racecar-on-the-street people said they wanted; but, as Cammisa points out, they didn’t want a racecar—they wanted something that felt like a racecar. That meant horsepower but also day-to-day comfort.
This video is bang-on with its accurate history. Calling the early Mustang models “secretary cars” is perhaps a bit strong, but there is evidence that Ford was actively marketing the car as affordable cool before the Mustang joined the performance car ranks to compete with cars like the Plymouth Barracuda. Combine the history with the aural pleasure of vintage and modern horsepower blared through tuned exhausts during fast laps, and this fun video provides more than enough reason to grab cold to drink and soak in some Shelby goodness for 20 minutes.
